A portable barricade is a section of sturdy, easily visible object that inhibits entry to dangerous areas. Caution tape and traffic cones are not barricades, nor do they serve as replacements to them. While there are many different types of barricades with their own specific applications in general when are barricades required to be used?
Situations Requiring A Portable Barricade
There are actually quite a few situations that legally require the installation of portable barricades. Most construction sites are required to put up barriers to prevent people or traffic from wandering into dangerous situations. To be more specific, all projects involving any of the following are required by law to have barricades in place before starting work:
- Construction debris dropped without the use of an enclosed chute.
- Areas with temporary wiring operating at more than 600 volts.
- Rotating superstructures of cranes or other equipment.
- Excavations.
- Areas used for the preparation of explosive charges or blasting operations.
- Street openings – manholes.
- Wherever equipment is left unattended near a roadway at night.
Construction Debris
Anytime construction debris is dropped from any height without the use of an enclosed chute a portable barricade is required to be set up at an appropriate distance to prevent any passerby from being struck by the falling debris. Be it work in a building with scrap being tossed from windows to a bin below, tree removal, or even full on demolition barricades are required.
Live Electrical Wiring
Whenever there is wiring exposed, even temporary wiring barricades are required to be erected to keep the general public safe. Construction sites in power stations, or even running generators or equipment with any exposed electronics must have up barricades.
Boom Length
If ever using equipment with a rotating superstructure or boom such as a crane or excavator, barricades must be in place at the very least, far enough back to exceed the circumference of the swinging boom length.
Blasting
Blasting of any kind, be it demolition, or anything else requires barricades. No if’s, and’s, or but’s about it. Doesn’t matter where the blasting occurs either, there always needs to be barricades around a blasting site to prevent any wanderers from falling into the danger zone.
Openings
When a hole in the ground is involved in your project, sufficient barricades need to be in place to prevent accidental fall ins. This is true for projects as complex as excavation or digging foundations, or even something involving opening a manhole cover. Anytime there’s a hole in the ground of any kind, preventative safety measures need to be made.
Unattended Equipment
Furthermore, whenever equipment is left at the site unattended barricades are needed to prevent others from stumbling into them and causing themselves harm. If the project is going to last a couple days it’s safe to assume that you will need to have barricades set up to avoid the fines associated with failure to comply with code.
Who Provides The Barricades?
Well, lucky for you, even though the government requires them, they sure aren’t going to provide them for you. If you don’t want to owe them a lot of money and risk losing your license then you will provide the portable barricades. Which raíces the question of how one finds all the different kinds of barricades they will need to finish the job. Don’t worry, there are several businesses that specialize in barricades of all varieties. They will be able to easily help you loathe the kinds of barricades you will need for your project. Some companies such as Capitol Barricade have specially licensed contractors that can help you plan out your crowd management and traffic control for your entire project. They will even handle all the necessary permitting for your plans!
Conclusion
To wrap up, if you’re doing a construction project of nearly any kind, it’s likely you will need barricades at one point or another. You’re not on your own though, It’s easy to find the experts you need to help you through the process. Soon you’ll be on your way to building a better world!
